Unraveling the Samsung Galaxy S5 Price And S5 Reviews

Unveiled at the ‘UNPACKED5’ event in Barcelona last week, Samsung Galaxy S5 is the brand new addition to the successful series of smart phones to the Korean brands basket. Much hyped and speculated addition to the ‘high end and even smarter phones’ of today’s times, has been launched and is expected to continue the legacy of its predecessors successfully.

Well, the reviews after the launch have not really been as pleasant as expected. That can be an obvious result of the higher expectations level that were set beforehand in anticipation or probably a genuine feedback of the industry’s ‘know it all’! That being said, reviews often do not jibe will the actual customer demand so we should wait and see. However, let us all take a detour of the key features Galaxy S5 posses and how fairly does it rate on a comparison with its predecessor.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Price:

Well there are a lot of speculations regarding the money Samsung wants its buyers to shell out, to get their hands on their Galaxy S5. Going by the predictions it would cost us around INR 37272- 43,484 ($600-$700). The popular opinion in the market, is that you can also expect a slight cut in the prices coming October.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Design:

Now, this in particular has been much talked about and a rather anticipated feature. However, it is nothing more than a disappointment! “Modern and refreshing” as Samsung calls it, is more conspicuously plastic than its predecessor Galaxy S4. Thankfully, this time there is no fake metal finish on the back, but just t he silvery sides. The back has a texture of little dimple like design to give it some extra grip. Available in 4 colors- Gold, Blue, White and Black. Please take a free advice here and ‘Do Not’ buy the one in gold. It looks horrible!

The rugged design does come with some drawbacks though. The Galaxy S5 is 8.1mm thin as opposed to the Galaxy S4 which checks in with a 7.9mm thin frame. It also weighs 145 grams while the Galaxy S4 weighs right around 130 grams. In other words, the Galaxy S5 design is thicker and heavier than the Galaxy S4.

Both the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy S4 come with 2,800 mAh batteries and both devices feature a removable back. Yes, the Galaxy S5 and its rugged design feature a removable back that will allow users to tack on an extended battery for more juice.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Screen :

The screen of the Galaxy S5 is not dramatically different to that of the Galaxy S4. It’s a shade bigger – a grand 0.1 inches – but the screen type and resolution are the same. It’s a 1080p Super AMOLED screen.
Samsung says it has dramatically increased how dim the screen can go too! It’s the first time we’ve seen a company boast about such a thing, but it will come in handy if you like to watch the latest episode of your favorite TVC, or check your emails. Along with this S5’s maximum brightness limit is a smidge higher than Galaxy S4.

Software:

Apart from being loaded with a few unique apps this one like every standard Galaxy S-series phone, the Galaxy S5 uses custom Samsung interface laid on top of Android. However, Samsung has given its interface a revamp “inspired by the prism effect of diamonds”. What this amounts to is a reworking of the phone’s icons, and a minor streamlining of the phone’s look.

Couple of the great apps it provides its users include: S Health 3.0- Your personal health tracker! , Run Keeper , Knox, Heart Rate Sensor etc. Well, surely this phone is a healthier option! This smart phone also offers a ‘Kids Mode’. So basically it’s a special area in the phone that is kids friendly and you can chose what goes into it.

Processor – As expected, the Galaxy S5 features a faster processor than the Galaxy S4 though it’s still not clear if the device utilizes a 64-bit processor or not. The Galaxy S5′s processor is a quad-core and it will be clock higher than the Galaxy S4 which means that it could offer improved performance in areas like gaming and multitasking.

Operating System: Galaxy S5 runs on new Android v4.4.2 KitKat OS, which is an upgrade from its predecessor, the Galaxy S4, which ran on Android Jelly Bean v4.2.2 OS.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Camera:

The Samsung Galaxy S5 offers several camera tech improvements over the Galaxy S4. It has a higher-resolution 16-megapixel sensor, some new modes and a reworked HDR mode.

Instead of a 13MP camera like the Galaxy S4, the Samsung Galaxy S5 comes with an upgraded 16MP camera that is capable of shooting ultra-high definition 4K video. The Samsung Galaxy S4′s camera can shoot high quality video footage but it simply cannot match the output of the Galaxy S5′s new camera.

However, the most technologically interesting improvement is one that is in danger of being overlooked –the autofocus. Most phones use a basic contrast detects focusing system. This uses high-contrast areas in an image to judge when a photo is in focus. It has a hybrid system that uses a mix of contrast detection and phase detection. The latter is what is used by SLRs.

Star Features:

Apart from all the basic improvements, S5 does have a star features that will surly set it apart from a lot of its competitors in the market:

Water and Dust Resistance

HDR(Rich Tone)-For both photos and videos, turn on the HDR when there is a strong counter light or when the subject is shaded.
Preview in real time natural light and color being reproduced vividly and clearly while you take your shot

Fast auto focus-Don’t hesitate to shoot and capture action as it’s happening! The faster Auto Focus helps you capture important moments of movement more quickly and in focus.

Selective Focus allows you to focus on what’s important by blurring the background and accentuating the main subject
in defined detail

MIMO- Multiple Input Multiple Output

Heart Rate Sensor

S Health- Your personal fitness tracker

WHY SHOULD YOU BUY IT!!

Despite the fact, that the phone has failed to please not only the critics but also technology junkies and Samsung’s ardent fans, it does has a couple of star features making a probable buy!

· Water and Dust Resistant

Well, dropping your smart phone in the toilet is an easy way to ruin your day. Thankfully, the Samsung Galaxy S5 is designed with durable dust and water-resistant glass, eliminating problems such as this. Although, I am not sure of the maximum resistance limit, so I recommend so shouldn’t you.

· Removable Battery

The Samsung Galaxy S5 features a removable battery, meaning you can pick up a spare for those emergency situations when you run out of juice. I’m a huge fan of removable batteries, and personally I think all smart phones should have them. Samsung really stepped up their game by implementing a removable battery in the Galaxy S5.

· Improved Sensors

Sure, the Galaxy S4 has Motion Gesture and other sensors, but Samsung has improved and built on to this technology with the Galaxy S5. The new Galaxy S5 is able to monitor your heart rate (great for exercising or playing sports), and it can perform a variety of tasks using the built-in fingerprint scanner.

Most people assume the fingerprint scanner is only useful for unlocking the device, but users can actually program each of their fingers to perform a specific task, such as logging into social media accounts, opening applications, etc.

· Same Pricing as the Galaxy S4

This new Galaxy is expected to be priced in the same range as its predecessor S4. If these rumors are correct, you can expect the Galaxy S5 to cost around INR 12,416 with a 2-year contract or INR 37272- 43,484 without a contract.

· Small but Subtle Interface Improvements

There are dozens of small nuances with the Galaxy S5′s interface that really sets it apart from the S4. Certain improvements have been made to this one making it more user friendly. The TouchWiz interface has been revamped, along with a new and improved virtual keyboard, camera screen, and other software changes.